If I'm not In Love with You
by devilinangel
Summary: After seeing Maddie so in love with another guy, Zack got tired of waiting and decided to move on. But Maddie and Zack started having second thoughts. Cody's scared to tell London how he feels.
1. Call

London was walking through the mall with Maddie behind carrying her shopping bags. Just as she was about to enter another store, she heard Jesse McCartney. Singing. It was a bit muffled so she turned around. Maddie was gone. She kept walking, hoping to find Maddie or Jesse somewhere. Then, lights around her began to dim. Jesse's voice grew louder and clearer. London smiled at the thought that Jesse was near so she shot her eyes closed for a few seconds and opened them back again. The lights have indeed been dimmed. Just like the brightness of her nightlight. Jesse stopped. London realized that it was her cellphone ringing. She sat up and looked for the clock.

" Ugh, 3 in the morning?" she scoffed. "Who could this be?"

London reached for the lamp and turned it on. She rubbed the sleep off her eyes while grabbing her phone with her free hand. It read '8 missed calls --- unknown'. She got up from the covers and headed straight for the kitchen. Phone still in hand.

'The Princess and the Pea' incident happened again. Or in London's case 'The Heiress and the Gem' or diamond… whichever. London's very irritated, she hasn't gotten any good sleep for the past three days and now this? She needs chocolate and fast! She searched her large kitchen pantry for a bar of chocolate.

"chocolate…chocolate…" London mumbled to herself. "FINALLY!" she grabbed the bag of 'Chips Ahoy', the box of 'Crunch', and an instant hot cocoa 'Swiss Miss'.

"_Wow, London! You're gonna eat all that? No wonder your face is breaking out. Hah! Just kidding." _She remembered Maddie's joke while taking a bite out of a cookie. She got a little scared of the thought of her face breaking out. So she decided to minimize it a bit. She reached inside the box of 'Swiss Miss' and found the last pack. Now all she needed was her favorite mug.

The one that says:

"I Love Shopping" she read. The mug was given to her by Cody a few years back.

FLASHBACK

' _It was warm and cheery inside the Tipton. Tipton Lounge, to be exact. It was filled with presents, decorations, and food. Mr. Moseby hosted a Christmas party. They were all there. Maddie, Zack, Cody, London, Estebeban, Carrie, Muriel, Mr. Moseby, Arwin and a few more of the Tipton Staff and Guests. Some of them had gone home for Christmas with their families. The only person missing was Mr. Tipton himself. London wasn't as upset as she was back then when her dad missed gatherings. She got used to it. But still she couldn't hide her disappointment, especially from Mr. Moseby. So everybody tried their best to cheer her up._

_In the middle of the room was big Christmas tree. The bottom was surrounded by presents. They ate, put on a little show, and opened their presents. Zack and Cody got a brand new game system from London, one that wasn't even out yet. Maddie got a frame with a picture of her and the entire Tipton staff plus a wallet with dozens of gift cards off of different stores. Carrie got 3 new cocktail dresses and two pairs of shoes. And the list goes on… they've all got fabulous gifts. Even London, who is really the hardest person to please, mostly because she can buy anything she wants. That or she already has them. But still she's happy and she appreciates them. _

_London didn't know why. But Cody's gift topped off her Dad's. From Daddy Dearest, she received a top of the line Diamond necklace, bracelet and earring set. Cody gave his present to her personally. The card said: _**To London, it's not much but I know you'll love it. Merry Christmas. Cody. **_Inside was a pink mug, a pink bracelet, and matching pink collar for Ivana. Everything inside the box was studded with pink gems, and says 'I Love Shopping'. _

"_Oh,Cody! I love it. Thank you" London said, smiling from ear to ear. She hugged Cody and kissed him on the cheek. _

_After the gift opening, they continued with the show. Zack was on, making jokes and wisecracks about everyone and everything. London got a little bored and headed out to the balcony. _

_Cody was laughing his head off. He looked over to where London was seated, kinda making sure she was having fun. London stood up and headed for the balcony. He took another sip of juice and followed her._

"_Zack bored yah, huh?" Cody asked coming up behind London. She jumped in surprise._

"_Whoa, you scared me. Zack? Uhmm.. no, ofcourse not! I wasn't bored…I just… I wasn't feeling it, you know." She replied. Cody smirked gave her a look that said 'Yeah, right!' and walked closer beside her overlooking the city and the streets. "Ok, maybe I was a little bored---"_

"_You're really bummed about your Dad, huh?" Cody cut her off. They were now looking at the stars. London was surprised. It's like Cody knew exactly what she was thinking. She turned to Cody. They were about the same height now that the twins are 15._

"_Cody, can you read minds?" London asked a bit sarcastically._

"_Hummm… nope, I don't think I can."Cody shrugged. " But it works for Zack and me. Sometimes. You know, with the twin telepathy thing."_

_London nodded in reply then turned back to the moon. " I dunno. It… it just surprises me everytime you figure me out. Am I really that transparent?" she added but the question was mostly to herself. Cody was thinking of something to say when they heard the audience clapping._

"_We should probably get back inside." London turned her head looking at Zack going down the stage._

"_Yeah… yeah… uhmm, we should. It's really getting cold out here." Cody replied. A bit disappointed because he was having a really good time. When they were near the door, London's subconscious told her to look up. At the ceiling. Cody did the same and found himself blushing when he saw a mistletoe hanging above them. He faced London. Within milliseconds, their lips meet. Cody felt sparks inside him. As did London. They both wanted it to last but something was telling them that they should stop. Yet again, the mood was ruined by the clapping audience. They broke apart. _

"_Merry Christmas, Cody." London whispered._

"_Merry Christmas too, London." Cody muttered. He just stood there, under the mistletoe, as he watched London go back inside._

END OF FLASHBACK

London held the mug high up to her face. She admired the fine detail and design on it. She traced the words with her finger. Just then, Jesse sang again. The screen of phone still read: 'Unknown'

"_This better be good!"_ she flipped her phone open and said, "Hello?"

"Hi! London?" said the voice at the other end of the line. But she knew that voice anywhere.

The Heiress froze in shock. It's been so long since she last heard from him. Seconds within those three syllables seemed like minutes. It's like everything stopped in a snap. She couldn't reply, let alone move a muscle. She tried opening her mouth, but not a peep came out.

The sound of porcelain shattering on the floor snapped her back from her thoughts. Yep, Cody's mug was porcelain. She jumped back a little but still managed to acquire a few cuts on her ankles. And still, all she could say was:

"Oh, shit!"

A/N: Hope you like it. R&R!


	2. Roses from the Ballroom

DING!

The elevator doors sprang open revealing the heiress herself. Wearing something stylish and sure as hell, it was made by a 'somebody'.

It was 11: 05 and the Tipton Lobby was quite busy. The telephone on the concierge desk rang continually, getting calls from guests asking for hotel and restaurant reservations. Employees switching shifts to take their lunch breaks. Even the candy counter was beaming with customers.

"Maddie!" London ran up to the blonde.

"One second." Maddie told London while handing a candy bar to an 8-year-old. "Enjoy!" The little boy paid Maddie and ran off. Maddie, now 20, decided to keep her candy counter job during summers. She got a scholarship at Harvard to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer. So no matter how much she loved working at the Tipton, she'd still go back to school every fall.

"Okay, what is it?"

"Have you seen Zack?" London asked impatiently.

"Whoa. What'd he do? You sound really mad." Maddie replied misinterpreting London's anxiousness.

"I will be if you don't tell me." Putting her hands on her waist.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. Last I saw, he was headed to the Ballroom to steal some roses for---"

"I don't steal. It's… it's called…uh – borrowing." Zack came up behind London while cutting Maddie off with an excuse. "London? You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah. You've been on a lot of dates lately right?"

He nodded. Raising his brows proudly. "But I dunno, I can't count."

"Pff. And they say I'm not smarticle." She let out a small laugh while Maddie smirked.

"No. I meant --- ugh, never mind. Your question?"

"Oh, yeah. I was just wondering, what is the most romantic place for a da---"

"Ooh, you have a date?" Maddie cut her off "Who is he? Is he cu---" London smiled and raised her hand up to Maddie's face and said her signature line:

"London's talking."

"A place for a romantic date?" Zack continued their conversation. "Hmm… I dunno, I'm not smarticle." He said sarcastically.

"50 bucks" London dug into her purse and handed it Zack. Cody entered the lobby and overheard Zack and London talking.

"Chéz André." Grabbing the money from London. "Oh, and dinner is the best there. Specially Tuesdays to Fridays."

"How 'bout lunch?

"Sorry. My sched's already filled for the day," Looking at his watch. "But I can squeeze you in for tomorrow. Dinner at eigh---"

"Uh! You are so full of yourself." London said walking away.

Maddie was holding back a laugh as London walked towards Irene (A/N: the concierge person).

"So…" Zack started.

"No, Zack. I'm busy" Maddie protested to what Zack was about to say. "and I suggest you put those roses back before Mr. Moseby---" Maddie was interrupted by her cell phone ringing.

Zack immediately turned around when Maddie mentioned Mr. Moseby's name.

"I was never here." Zack whispered to Maddie and ran off.

Maddie nodded in reply while chatting with someone on the phone. "Hello? Oh, hi Trevor…."

'_Trevor? Who's Trevor?' _Zack wanted to hear more but she respected Maddie. And clearly, eavesdropping is out of the question. Instead, he focused on the quickest escape route without Mr. Moseby seeing him. _'Elevator? No…it's too exposed and Cody's still waiting, he's been there for like 5 minutes. Stairs? Nah.. he'd catch me.' _He looked around and saw the kitchen._ 'Got it! Service elevator.'_

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Cody waited for the elevator to arrive on the 23rd floor.

DING!

'_Why was London paying Zack for a date?' _Cody asked himself. He was still confused about what happened at the lobby earlier. He arrived in front of the door of their suite. He searched for the keycard in his pocket and inserted it into the slot. The lock didn't click. _'I could've sworn I locked it before I went out.' _He turned the knob and opened the door slightly. The TV was on. _'World's Funniest Truck Collisions?' _"Zack?... Are you here?" Zack wasn't on the couch. He checked the bedroom. "I thought Mom told you to never leave the TV on."He still wasn't there. "Zack this isn't funny!"

"Yes it is." Zack came up behind him and Cody jumped in surprise.

Cody glared at his twin. He was laughing. "I told you never to do that anymore! I'm telling Mom!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Zack sat back down on the couch and Cody joined him. " I can't help myself." Zack said in between laughs. " I mean, this time I tried not to scream at you, but... you still had the same reaction." Zack continued laughing.

"Ha Ha" Cody laughing sarcastically. "I'm serious Zack. The next time you do that, I'm REALLY telling Mom. You'll be grounded so bad, you'll---" Cody looked at his twin. He was watching the TV with a bored face. "ZACK! Are you even listening to me! Besides, how'd you get here so fast?"

"Service elevator."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zack came out of their room all dressed up for another date. He was fixing the collar of his shirt while carrying two more shirts with the other hand in case any "accidents" happen tonight.

"So, how do I look?" Zack asked his brother. Cody was flipping through the channels. He was giving Zack the 'silent treatment'.

"Aw, come on buddy. You still mad at me?" Cody didn't reply

Click! The knob turned. They heard someone talking outside.

"Alright, Mr. Moseby. I'll let him know."

"It's Mom!" Zack's eyes grew wide "Don't tell her I'm here" He whispered to Cody and hid behind the couch.

"Are you kidding me? I won't lie to Mom. I can't---" He replied in a breathy voice.

"Cody, have you seen you're brother?" Carey startled Cody.

"Zack?" Cody sat up straight and replied in panic. Carey just stood there waiting for an answer. "Uhmmm… no?" He nervously looked behind him.

" 'Uhmmm… no?' " Zack stood up from behind the couch, figuring he was already busted and made his way to Cody. "Cody, that's pathetic. I mean, come on---"

"Zack, I don't where to begin!" Carey shouted.

"Well, you could raise my allowance?" Carey gave Zack a glare. "I'm sorry. That was selfish of me… Our allowance?" Zack put an arm around Cody's shoulder.

"Save it! Mr. Moseby told me that he caught you taking flowers from---"

"Wait. Taking? Isn't that a bit harsh? I prefer "borrowing"." Zack made invisible quotation marks in the air.

"Really?" Zack nodded in response. "You see Zack, last time I checked, the word borrowing means taking something with permission from the owner. Now, did you or did you not ask permission from Mr. Moseby when you "borrowed" the flowers?

Zack shook his head. "I didn't, 'cause I knew he wasn't gonna say yes, that's why I "borrowed" them."

"I don't care what reason, just go down there and apologize to Mr. Moseby and tell him that you will replace his flowers tomorrow. When you get back, we will discuss your punishment."

"But Mom---" Zack complained.

"You wanna discuss it now? Fine. You're grounded. That means no TV, no video games, no desserts, no mall, and no dates!

"Well, for how long?" He asked.

"Three weeks.." She looked at Cody "Plus a week for teaching Cody how to lie."

"Aw, come on Mom. Face it… he'll never survive the adult world without knowing how to lie."

"Zack, honey. I know lying is sometimes necessary, but lying for all the wrong reasons is bad." Carey repeated in her head what she just said and added, "Ok, that sounded odd… But, you get what I mean right?" She addressed the question to the both of them and they both nodded. "Good. Your punishment starts tomorrow." She pointed out to Zack.

"Huh?" Zack asked a bit confused.

"You still have four dates lined up for today, right?"

"Yeah, but---"

"Well, I don't want to be the reason why you stood up those girls. And I'm giving you the time to cancel your dates for tomorrow so that those other girls wouldn't think that you just bailed on them the last minute."

"But---- How--- Mom! You read my planner?"

"I… uh… uhmm…. No. I'll be back midnight! Love you!"

"Love you." the boys said in unison.

**A/N: Here's Chapter 2… as promised.**

**I know… I'm bad… I still haven't revealed the "caller" from chapter 1yet. Plus I'm sorry if this chapter is not that good. I'm experiencing a major Writer's block… I'm not sure when chapter 3 will be up though… school starts this Monday so wish me luck.**

**Hahaha… I'm sure you've got so many unanswered questions…. Like: who's London's date? Who was the caller from last chapter? Why does Zack have so many dates? Why did Trevor call Maddie? Is he the Trevor from Odd Couples?**

**(sigh) I guess you'll just have to continue reading to find out…**

**Thanks!**

**R&R!**

**-----devilinangel**


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